Snoring can have serious physical and psychological effects on the snorer and those around him which include lack of sleep, high blood pressure, and relationship problems. Snoring that is interrupted by episodes of obstructed breathing is known as obstructive sleep apnea. Serious episodes can reduce blood oxygen levels, causing the heart to pump harder. Many things can contribute to snoring and sleep apnea. There are a range of minimally invasive treatments available. One such treatment is removal of the uvula (uvulectomy).
Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) and laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP) are traditional surgical methods of removing the uvula. UPPP involves the removal of not only the uvula, but of adjacent palatal tissue as well. This is performed in an operating room, under general anesthesia, is considered to be quite morbid, and may cause major complications. This surgery is therefore performed infrequently. LAUP is less invasive modification of UPPP, which can be performed as an out-patient procedure. However, LAUP is still quite painful, and is also performed infrequently. “Simple” uvulectomy can be performed in the office, using local anesthesia, and is significantly less morbid than UPPP or LAUP. Uvulectomy is therefore often employed as an initial attempt at treatment, reserving more aggressive techniques for “treatment failures”. One of the limiting factors in a surgeon's ability to comfortably and safely perform uvulectomy is that it requires the use of three separate instruments to be in the mouth at the same time. A first instrument holds the tongue down, a second instrument severs the uvula, while a third instrument grasps the uvula and then removes it after it has been severed. Grasping the uvula is essential, because if it is transected without grasping, it can fall into the patient's airway (aspirate), causing potentially fatal airway compromise. Preventing aspiration of the transected uvula is an important part of the safe performance of an uvulectomy.
What is needed is a single surgical excision device that severs, captures and removes the uvula, thereby eliminating the need for a third instrument in the mouth.